A ten-minute drive from central Manama and standing guard on an ancient tell overlooking the northern coast, impressive Bahrain Fort is in the final throes of restoration. Built by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century as part of a string of defences along the shores of the Gulf, the moated fort is particularly impressive at sunrise, when the surrounding history of the site seems to rise out of the excavations.

And what a remarkable set of excavations they are. The site appears to have been occupied from about 2800 B.C. and there are seven layers of history represented in the various digs surrounding the fort, including the remnants of two earlier forts. You would need to be an expert, and have rather more knowledge than proffered by the heritage sign boards.